My aunt, June Anderson, was a brilliant award-winning textile designer in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. I’ll never forget the summer I turned 20 … and she taught me a life lesson that has stayed with me to this day. It applies to your relationship with your clients, too. For her time-honored wisdom, watch this … Read More
On the plus side, they can be a way to get business, and come across as a caring professional. On the down side, you open yourself up to tire kickers, DIYers, and those looking for 3rd, 4th, and 5th opinions…until they finally find someone who agrees with them. There’s no one way do go about … Read More
How to you handle long-term clients who try to wangle freebies from you? Like, Can we talk off the meter? Or, Can you just do this quick thing for me? It’s a challenge, isn’t it? Especially for business professionals … where running a small business is all about relationships. But if you don’t set healthy … Read More
Ever had client prospects want you to work for free? Maybe they DM you through Facebook or LinkedIn with I have a question… Or, they let you know … it’s a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor… Or, my personal favorite (NOT): Can I pick your brain? For the professional service providers … Read More
We’ve all had situations where we quote a fee to a prospect or client, and the clients says, “I didn’t realize it would be that expensive.” Or, “This is beyond our budget.” How do you respond? In my experience, many business professionals jump right in to lower their fees…which might not be the best approach. … Read More
If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you know that angry clients are a huge headache. Not just disappointed – but ANGRY – and having no qualms about unleashing the full force of it on you. (Ugh. I’m getting anxious just thinking about it.) While you may do your best to avoid … Read More
Did you know …? … One of the best places to find a better way to run your business is by looking at how you work with your clients. Why? Because in my experience, many professional service providers – while brilliant at what they do — overgive to their clients. And that hurts you AND … Read More
2020 has made lots of my consulting clients feel like Rocky Balboa in the 15th round with Apollo Creed. Beaten and battered by the 1-2 punch of COVID and its wake of social, political, and economic disruption… … to the point where they’re no longer panicked. Just numb and exhausted. BUT STILL STANDING. They still … Read More
As a professional service provider, there are few things more frustrating than trying – and wanting – to serve your clients … … and then get NO response from the client when you need information to do your job. So what can you do when a client “ghosts” you? In this short video, I outline … Read More
Regardless of which candidate you think did a better job, which one’s policies you think make more sense, or which one you intend to vote for … … (because frankly, that’s YOUR business, and not the point here) … they had one really important lesson to teach #solobiz and #smallbiz owners: They were clear about … Read More
In the last few videos, I’ve been talking about how to handle difficult clients. Tacking on an “aggravation surcharge” when they demand more than you agreed. Or require a miraculous turnaround time. Those are uncomfortable conversations. But the #1 way to avoid them is … … to NOT take on PITA clients in the first … Read More
Since I started talking about difficult, or “PITA” clients, I’ve gotten lots of questions about how to do it … and how to have those conversations with clients. Briefly, there are three steps that solo and small firm owners should know to use the “PITA Tax” or “aggravation surcharge” successfully. Think of it like pulling … Read More
